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Who dares wins
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They introduced to Chennai the flavours of China, Japan, Korea and Italy. MARIEN MATHEW talks to those behind some standalone restaurants
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REWIND TO sepia tinted pictures of dosais and vadais with a steaming tumbler of coffee or of chicken 65 and biriyani rounded off with a tall glass of faluda. This was Madras. It was into this world that a few brave souls entered peddling sushi and satay, lasagne and bulgogi.
In Chennai, we have been hearing the names Dahlia, Akasaka, Bella Ciao, Benjarong and Kyungbokgong or Korean Palace for years. These stand-alone specialty restaurants serve cuisine that has little in common with our traditional food. Yet, they have proved their staying power with the oldest Dahlia turning almost 11 and the youngest Benjarong going on four. Except for the media-shy Akasaka, the rest of the gang was ready to talk about the sweaty spadework, the hot hours by the stove, the frustrations and the sweet smell of success at the end of it all.
When Revathi Nagaswami, a freelance translator and interpreter for Japanese tourists, teamed up with Yamauchi, a seafood exporter, to start the first specialty Japanese restaurant in India, she was as fresh in the business as is the sashmi she expertly serves now.
Kim, managing director, Korean Palace, was another greenhorn. He was a Captain in the Infantry division of the Korean Army.
Ciro Cattaneo's Bella Ciao is a business venture, but from a rebel platform. This Italian came to India because, "it is more peaceful here and you (Indians) don't have the problems affecting European or American society." He has definite views on topics ranging from globalisation to mainstream music to cooking.
Reji Mathew, CEO and Chef, Benjarong, also comes from a catering background. His big step was to leave the safety net of the Taj group to join hands with Mahadevan of Hot Breads to open the first Thai restaurant in the city.
Standalone splendour... some of the speciality restuarants in the city.
For Ciro, it was love for India, which he had discovered during his visits earlier on vacations, that brought him here. Rather than choosing touristy spots such as Goa and Kerala where there are communes of foreigners, Ciro settled for the less crowded Chennai. With Kim it was more like going with the flow. Hyundai was coming to town and his father-in-law was in the team and so, why not check out the new pasture, he thought.
Entrepreneurship is never easy. For these visitors, it was even tougher. The language hurdle was obviously a major one, as Kim needed his General Manager Thomas Abraham by his side during our talk. Just 10 months into business (Korean Palace started at Poes Garden in 1997), came his baptism of fire. An animal rights group accused him of serving dog meat. He came under attack from the media and the authorities. Though nothing incriminating was found or proved, his business suffered badly. It took a long time to put the issue to rest. Kim still looks bewildered and upset when he talks about the incident.
Being new to Chennai, Ciro was easily taken for a ride by the locals. From salt to mutton to vegetables, everything was more expensive for him in the beginning. "I think, when I set up the restaurant I spent twice the amount an Indian would have on the same thing," recalls Ciro ruefully.
Years ago, banks weren't too impressed with the F&B industry as they are now. Hence it was the personal savings of Yamauchi and Revathi that flowed into Dahlia. In fact, jittery about her daughter's future, Revathi's mother extracted a promise from her that she should not give up her translator's job in spite of opening the restaurant. And she has kept that promise to this day. "But the restaurant is not a hobby," she says firmly. "It is my child, a very demanding one," she adds. Her partner stands in for her when she is busy with the other job. It is quite a balancing act now what with the second `child' (this branch is six-years old) in Bangalore.
The picture is not different with Ciro or Kim. There was no financial institution or benefactor behind them either. Regi Mathew who had the backing of Oriental Cuisines Pvt. Ltd., which has an excellent track record, didn't have to wait for long to know how his career move paid off. After eight to nine months, Benjarong began to break even, justifying the lakhs pumped into its elegant dιcor, monogrammed plates and cutlery. But it wasn't so easy for the rest.
According to Ciro, it was only in the last six months in Besant Nagar (Bella Ciao's earlier location) that he could put away some money, all of which he invested again in the restaurant. He is still waiting for that day when his coffers will be full. Kim too claims that the debit side in his books is longer even now.
Revathi is almost fatalistic about margins. "It is very difficult to make a big profit and we cannot have the same margin as that of the Indian restaurants. Our ingredients are costly. At the same time, we cannot price food as high as is done abroad." Each player has his own take on labour management, which is the second most important ingredient in the success recipe. The Italian's approach: "I treat them like fellow humans. They are doing the same job I was doing in Italy earlier. I know how it feels to be stuck inside the kitchen. We work together to make the place a success."
At the Korean end it is not all that smooth. "I tell them what to do and they carry it out. But unfortunately, only half way," says Kim. Does this mean that Indians are not as hard working as Koreans? "Yes," came the answer.
At Dahlia, Revathi says, "We are like a family." It is the confidence the staff repose in the Benjarong management that keeps them motivated.
The common thread running through these success stories is hard work. Whether it is Benjarong or Bella Ciao, the initial days were all about putting in more and more hours of work. On an average, these restaurateurs' days began at 9 a.m. and ended at midnight with just a two to three-hour break in between. The initial pressure can go on for months. Even afterwards there is the need to sustain quality and be in touch with the current trends, which means constant revision of the menu. "The high you experience from the customers' feedback and the sight of a full restaurant will inspire you to give your all to the business," says Regi. Satisfaction does not lie just in a growing bank deposit but also in providing `wagamama' to the clients as Revathi puts it in Japanese — that feeling of being at home, getting what they want. Moral of the story: who dares wins.
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
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Kochi
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